Stationery feed mechanism for imprinting machines



A. EVANS Feb. 5, 1952 584,195

STATIONARY FEED MECHANISM FOR IMPRINTING MACHINES Filed April 26, 1946 2 SPEETS-SHEET l Feb. 5, 1952 EVANS 2,584,195

STATIONARY FEED MECHANISM FOR IMPRINTING MACHINES Filed April 26, 1946 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 Patented Feb. 5, 1952 "British company London, England, a

ApplicationAprilZli, 1946, Se1-ia1 No. -665,232 .in -GreatrBritain September 4, 1944 Sectionl, PublicLaw 69.0,.Augus't 8,1946 Patent expires September 4, 1964 This invention relates to imprinting machines {generally known as addressing machines) for producing successive impressions from-automaticallv 'ic'hanged printing plates or equivalent printing devices. "The invention is "concerned 'w'ithanimprinting machine or the type comprisinga 'reciprgcatory carriage and-a presser head; in

'the'form of "a roller mounted on the carriage for.

vertical movement in relation thereto, the ar- :rangement being such thaton'movement of the carriage in one'direct-ion(hereinafter referred to as itsforward stroke) the presserhead is gradually lowered 'until'towards the end of theforward strokeitis in contact with the paper which is to "receive theimpression and "which has been located immediatelyabove the printing platewhile oil-movement 'ofthe carriage in the opposite direction (hereinafter referred to as its return stroke) the'presser head rollsover "the paper in pressure contact "with it and the imprinting operat'ion is thereby effected.

Normally 'an imprinting machine of the above type is adapted only for the intermittent feeding, up to the impression station, of a "comparatively short length of paper comprising, say, five printed forms which mayffor example-be cheque forms. The intermittent feeding is effected by 'means-of a fiexi'blesteel band'iacting as a drawbar) which atone end is clamped 'tothe paper and-at the-other is coupled to a feed device interconnected with the reciprocating carriage. After 'the'short-leng-th web of paper has been traversed through the machine-it is disconnected from the flexible band, the latter is reset to its advance position and a ireshstripof paper is attached.

The object of the'present invention is to provide an attachment for an imprinting machine of the type described whereby the machine may be adapted tooperate with continuous stationery comprising-a long series-oi interconnected forms. The attachment provided by the invention illaims. (CL 271- 254) comprises, as 'a unitarystructu're, a "frame arranged for-connection to 'the table of "the imprinting machine, 'a iced shaft supported for *ro- 'tation "by the frame and carrying web-feeding means in the form-of a friction platenor pintype feeding devices, and coupling meansbetween the reciprocatory carriage and :the feed shaft arranged to transmit unidirectional rotation to the feed shaft on each forward stroke of the carriage, said coupling means including a lost-motion device whereby :no drive is transmitted to "the feed shaft during thefinalpartoi "the forward "strokeoi the carriage, .that is when the presser head is lowered into "contact with the-paper. r r I In the case in which the attachment is adapted "for the feeding of stationery in the form of a =continuous web having marginal feed apertures, the web-feeding means may conveniently comprise a spindle supported in end bearings in "the attachment frame and carrying two pin wheels which are adjustable "along the spindle to different settings to accommodate paper webs of different width.

In one arrangement according to the invention, the coupling between the 'reciprocatory carriage and the web-feed shaft includes pawl and ratchet mechanism, with which there is associated a lost-motion connection for the purpose already described. If desired, a ratchet Wheel masking device may be provided 'for varying the eiiective pawl stroke.

The foregoing and other features of the invention are embodied in an example which will 'now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the attachment;

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the attachment mounted on the table of an addressing machine, with a pack-holder and re-fold tray in position, and

Figure 3 is an end elevation '(to an enlarged scale in relation to Figures 1 and 2') showing the pawl and ratchet mechanism coupling the recip'rocatory carriage to the web-feed shaft.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts in the three figures.

In this example the attachment is applied to "a well known type of addressing machine having a table 12, across which are intermittently fed lengths or sheets of paper to receive impressions from successive printing plates at the surface of the table I2 under the paper, a reciprocatory carriage i9 anda presser head 50 in the form of a roller mounted'on the carriage for vertical movement in relation thereto, the arrangement beingsuch that-during the forward stroke of the carriage the presser head is gradually lowered until toward the end of the forward stroke of the carriage it is in contact with the paper, while during the return stroke of the carriage the presser head rolls over the paper in pressure contact with it and presses it into contact with the printing plate, the imprinting operation being thereby effected. The printing plate is removed "and another plate substituted in its place, by well known means under. the table 42, between successive printing operations. The'attachment comprises-an open frameworkconsisting of'two side angle plates It interconnected bycrossbars I l and adapted to be connected to the table 12 of the machine by means of screws inserted through the base flanges of the side plates II) which are arranged to extend parallel to the path in which the paper is fed up to and from the imprinting position. In this case the attachment is adapted for the feeding of stationery in the form of a continuous web l3 having marginal apertures 14 for engagement by pin-type feeding devices. Successive portions in the length of the web 13 may constitute series-connected printed forms and there may be several webs arranged in register with carbon paper or other transfer material interleaved between adjacent webs to constitute a manifold assembly. The pin-type feed comprises a pin-wheel spindle i5 supported in end bearings carried by the side plates H) of the attachment. Two pin-wheels l5 (of the kind described in British Patent Specification No. 408,125) are mounted on the pinwheel spindle I5 and adjustable along it to different settings to accommodate webs of different widths. The spindle is formed on its peripheral surface with a series of small serrations (not shown) very closely set and each pin-wheel after adjustment to its desired position along the spindle is adapted to be locked thereto by a spring-controlled hinged claw (not shown) carried by the wheel housing and arranged to engage one or more of the spindle serrations. These serrations-may be constituted by successive portions of a helical thread extending throughout the length of the spindle. Between the two pinwheels l6 are several paper-supporting discs 11 of approximately the same diameter as the pinwheels which are loosely mounted on the spindle and spaced apart thereon by light springs 18 surrounding the spindle. Slotted guide arms (not shown) carried by a cross-bar on the attachment may be arranged to co-operate with the upper surfaces of the pin-wheels H5 in order to maintain proper engagement between the pins and the paper.

The following mechanism is provided for transmitting from the reciprocatory carriage l9 of the machine, intermittent unidirectional rotation of the pin-wheel spindle IS in timed sequence with the operations of the machine. A cross-shaft 29, hereinafter referred to as the main shaft, is supported by the side plates [0 of the attachment at a position in front of the pin-wheel spindle l5, i. e. between the pin-wheel spindle and the reciprocatory carriage l9. Centrally in its length the main shaft carries a pulley 2| to which one end of a short chain 22 or equivalent flexible coupling element is attached. The chain 22 extends round the pulley and at its other end is connected to an adjacent part of the reciprocatory carriage l9. The arrangement is such that during forward movement of the carriage I9 a pull is exerted on the chain coupling 22 and the main shaft 20 rotated in one direction. During the return stroke of the carriage the main shaft 29 is rotated in the opposite direction by means of a torsion spring or springs 23. The main shaft 29 carries a crank 24 which is coupled by a pivotally articulated link to a quadrant plate 25 which is freely rotatable about the axis of a cross shaft 21, hereinafter referred to as the intermediate transmission shaft, located behind the pin-wheel spindle. The intermediate transmission shaft 21 has a ratchet wheel 28 fast upon it and the quadrant plate 26 carries a pivotally mounted pawl 29 for engagement with the ratchet wheel 28. The intermediate trans,-

mission shaft 21 is interconnected, through appropriate gearing 30, with the pin-wheel spindle. During forward movement of the reciprocatory carriage l9 a drive is transmitted through the main shaft 29 and its crank 24 and link connection 25 with the quadrant plate 26 to the ratchet wheel 28 and from thence to the pin-wheel spindle 15. During the return stroke of the carriage, when the main shaft 29 is rotated in the opposite direction by the spring 23, and the quadrant pawl 29 makes an idle stroke in relation to the ratchet wheel, no drive is transmitted to the pinwheel spindle. It is during this stroke of the carriage that the printing impression is made.

In order to ensure that no drive will be transmitted to the pin-wheel spindle l5 during the last stage of the forward stroke of the reciprocatory carriage (i. e. when the pressure roller 50 is descending into contact with the paper) a lostmotion connection is introduced between the quadrant plate 26 and the link 25 which couples that plate to the main shaft crank. Thi's lostmotion connection comprises a, pin 3| carried by a radial arm 5! to whichthe link 25 is pivotally articulated, the pin 3! being arranged to engage in an arcuate slot 32 in the quadrant plate 26. The lost-motion between the pin 3! and slot 32 is controlled by a. tension spring 33. The arrangement is such that towards the end of the forward stroke of the carriage the quadrant pawl 29 will arrive at a position in which it is brought into jamming abutment with a flange 34 on the spindle I5 (see Figure 3), thereby preventing further rotation of the intermediate transmission shaft 21 and therefore preventing further movement of the pin-wheel spindle. During the final stage of the forward movement of the carriage the main shaft 20 continues to rotate and with it the crank arm 24. The further movement thus transmitted to the link 25 is taken up by the lost-motion in the connection with the quadrant plate 1. e. provided by the slot 32, the control spring 33 allowing such movement to take place. I

The attachment preferably includes a ratchet wheel masking device 35, by angular adjustment of which it is possible to varyfor a constant throw of the pawl 29the effective pawl stroke. The masking plate 35 is arranged to determine at what stage in the forward throw of the quadrant plate the pawl 29 will be allowed to engage the ratchet wheel 28. The attachment may also include a hand crank 36 associated with the main shaft 29 by means of which that shaft may be given by hand any desired number of forward strokes.

The masking plate 35 in this example consists of an arcuate plate surrounding substantially more than half of the circumference of the ratchet wheel 28, supported from a fixed part of the attachment and positioned so that during the initial part of the forward throw of the quadrant plate the pawl 29 rides on the outside of the masking plate 35 and the pawl 29 is thereby prevented from engaging the ratchet wheel 28 until it reaches the end of the masking plate. The stage in the forward throw of the quadrant plate at which the pawl 29 engages the ratchet wheel 28 may be varied by rotation of the masking plate 35 about the axis of the shaft 21 and consequently the effective length of the pawl mounted above the presser mechanism and a1 ranged to accommodate a supply of continuous stationery in the form of a zig-zag folded pack 38. There is also a re-fold tray 39 conveniently mounted behind the attachment on the table I2 of the machine. The paper web is taken from the pack-holder over the back of it and round a roller 49 mounted on the table of the machine and from thence under the presser head and on to the pin wheels. The pack-holder may include a paper-tensioning device comprising a number of cross-bars or guides 4| through which the paper is traversed, one or more of the cross-bars being angularly adjustable to increase or diminish the drag on the paper web.

I claim: 1

-1. For an imprinting machine of the type described and including a reciprocatory carriage movable over a table, an attachment comprising, as a unitary structure, a frame arranged for connection to the table of the imprinting machine, a feed-shaft supportedfor rotation by the frame, web-feeding means and coupling means between the reciprocatory carriage and the feed-shaft consisting of a cross-shaft supported by the attachment frame for rotation, a flexible coupling element secured to the crossshaft, partly wound around the shaft and connected to the reciprocatory carriage for rotation of the shaft on movement of the carriage in the forward direction, a one-way pawl and ratchet wheel driving connection between the crossshaft and the feed-shaft, a stop limiting the rotation of the feed-shaft, a lost-motion device permitting continued rotation of the cross-shaft after limitation of the rotation of the feed-shaft and a spring urging the cross-shaft for rotation in the reverse direction.

2. An attachment according to claim 1, in

which the one-way pawl and ratchet driving connection between the cross-shaft and the feed shaft comprises an intermediate transmission shaft extending parallel with the cross-shaft and supported for rotation by the attachment frame, gearing coupling the intermediate shaft to the feed shaft, a ratchet wheel fast on the intermediate shaft, an arm freely rotatable about the axis of the intermediate shaft, a pawl pivotally mounted on said arm and engaging the ratchet wheel, a crank carried by the cross-shaft, and a pivotally articulated link embodying a springcontrolled lost-motion connection connecting said crank to the pawl-carrying arm.

3. An attachment as claimed in claim 2 in which the stop aforesaid comprises a collar on the feed shaft arranged to engage and stop the movement of the pawl, to limit the rotation of the'feed shaft.

ALBERT EVAN'S.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 990,736 Hess Apr. 25, 1911 1,028,226 Kohnle June 4, 1912 1,714,143 Schramm May 21, 1929 1,767,689 Metzner June 24, 1930 1,789,646 Fassmann Jan. 20, 1931 2,006,991 Gollwitzer July 2, 1935 2,017,920 Rost Oct. 22, 1935 2,046,931 Winter July 7, 1936 2,080,056 Miller May 11, 1937 2,095,292 Sherman Oct. 12, 1937 2,095,293 Sherman Oct. 12, 1937 2,250,530 Hafecost July 29, 1941 

